Israeli president invites UAE crown prince after landmark accord

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Monday invited Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed to Jerusalem, days after Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced a deal to normalize diplomatic ties.

"I am filled with hope that the deal taking shape between our countries will help to build and strengthen confidence between the peoples of the region," Rivlin wrote on Twitter, alongside a picture of the invitation letter in Arabic.

He added that he hoped the deal would "move our region forward, and bring economic prosperity and stability for the inhabitants of the Middle East."

On Thursday, the UAE and Israel announced an agreement brokered by the United States to normalize diplomatic ties in return for Israel suspending a controversial plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

The deal makes the UAE the third Arab country after Egypt and Jordan - and the first Gulf nation - to establish diplomatic links with Israel.

Iran, which considers Israel its arch-foe, sharply criticized the UAE over the deal and accused it of betraying the Palestinian cause. Palestinian leaders too have reacted furiously.

The majority of countries in the Middle East maintain a boycott of Israel since the country was founded in 1948.